MidTerm Event: A Time to Reflect on Our Connexion in Mission
Albarka Abbo Wakili: A recollection of my memorable experience at the Global Mission Fellows – International Track MidTerm Event held in Nairobi, Kenya from 3rd – 9th November, 2022.
One of my spiritual practices as a Global Mission Fellow has been to personally reflect deeply in my heart and journal my experiences. From the warm hospitality of the people I meet, to the common and uncommon places I visit as I continue to serve God and humanity. This epistle is a recollection of my memorable and impactful experience at the Global Mission Fellows Midterm Event held from 3rd – 9th November 2022 at the Desmond Tutu Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.
On Wednesday, 2nd November, 2022, four of us, the GMFs serving in Zambia, converged in the lobby of the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka waiting for our Kenyan Airways flight to Nairobi, Kenya. Unlike our previous Commissioning trip to Abidjan where we spent the ‘waiting time’ taking dozens of pictures, this time, we were more calm and collected. Doel Kaloa was by one side feeling the ambience, Imourana Bockarie was trying to check up on Christopher Theoway via WhatsApp call (because his flight schedule had a different route this time); and I sat across keenly having a discussion with Michael Gandi about Nairobi, the thriving capital city of Kenya and then segued to the movie character in the series Money Heist. Soon after, it was time to go.
On arrival, we were warmly welcomed to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by the mild Nairobi atmosphere. We headed straight to our accommodation, the Desmond Tutu Conference Centre.
This gathering of fellows from our cohort in the international track from Africa, Latin America and European region and staff of the General Board of Global Ministries' Young Adult Mission Service from around the world converging in a geographic region is a reminder of our connexion, which means that every local community and church belongs to a larger entity - a part of a global connection.
On the first day of the event, we introduced ourselves and had an icebreaker trivia which aided in getting to know each other a bit more in regards to our various Places of Assignments. It felt pleasing to finally meet Hannah Hanson the Director of Young Adult Mission Service from the USA, Alfiado Zunguza the Leadership Manager from Mozambique and Trisha Manns from the USA; Mission Advocate YAMS, whom we have come to know right from the days of our discernment to now, through their illustrious teachings and administrative guidance virtually. At the end of the introduction and icebreaker, the Jubilee Hall for African Dignity came to a solemn silence when all of us came up with community norms and then presented at least one item that means a lot to us in our terms of service to mount a sacred altar.
By taking this action, I was reminded of the significance of our gathering, a time to learn and share in our Wesleyan understanding of 'connexion.' The intentionality to follow in the model of the early disciples who gathered in the Upper Room praying and waiting for God's Spirit to empower and guide them. In their footsteps, we purposefully conferenced with one another and with God.
The next day we were encouraged to be good stewards of yet another dimension of our connection, our integral relationship with the whole creation and our accountability in caring for it. We learnt about our role in ensuring Climate Justice and how the world needs youth to combat environmental injustices in our communities. The presentation was made by Annie Kobia, a supervisor from the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), which is also a placement site for GMFs in Kenya. One of my takeaways from the sessions was the notion that youths can be responsible for naming, shaming and making the environment better and habitable. Before lunch, I was intrigued to learn about Power Analysis. The various sectors that hold power in our societies. The session broadened my scope to also learn how past events can determine the future. I was left asking for more stories when Venus Mae Gatdula from the Philippines, serving in Cambodia explained the historical forces of the events in Cambodia and the influence of the Khmer Rouge on the history of the nation. This day was very notable as I noticed, a lot of us began to develop stronger bonds of friendship during the 'I got an email' round chair game and when some of us teased our friends to taste the African Tea for the first time during lunch and dinner breaks.
The Midterm event is a reminder of our call to minister beyond the walls of our local communities and churches. On Saturday, November 5, we set out early for our first official outing to Dr BT Cooper UMC School; a school established for orphans and vulnerable children. I was overjoyed to see the excitement on the faces of the children, their warm demeanour and genuine hospitality. They ministered a touching song and a dance performance so good we joined in to celebrate with them. We also presented the song "we are marching in the light of God" in three different languages; Swahili, Spanish and Zulu. The rhythmic contortions of our combined dance steps became a constant reminder for me to always shake off my troubles and trust that God will send light in my seeming darkest hours. The visit to Dr BT cooper school also tinged in me the vast network of connections we have as 'Acacians' when I reconnected with Gad Maiga, an old friend of mine, and found out that even the Coordinator of the school, Mr Reuben Ososa is also an alumnus of Africa University, Zimbabwe, my Alma Mater. Coming back was a swift cruise as we rushed back through the Nairobi expressway taking a glimpse of the beauty of the city in time to meet up with the welcoming service with Bishop Daniel Wandabula; the Bishop East Africa Episcopal Area. The bishop charged us to be courageous and wise in our service to humanity and to not let anyone look down on us because we are young, instead be steadfast and true to our calling; which is the core message in 2 Timothy 4:12.
During the welcome service which had in attendance the Bishop, Kenyan District superintendent, youths, fellows and other guests, I had the opportunity to present about the GMF program, one of our core values and how I have been able to Connect the church in mission as a media and communications officer serving with the Pilgrim Wesleyan Church in Zambia (PWC). It felt enriching witnessing the transforming power of my testimony and the experience I shared about the members of PWC Zozwe, in the Eastern Province of Zambia. The sessions ended with various Placement site fairs, vocational displays and sharing of what we do at our placement sites to the delightful learning of the guests. Another moment which stood out to me on this day was the dialogues, monologues and soliloquies we practised during our Spiritual Direction session. The questions my team members, Reeba Webster from Honduras and Erick Hunter from the US asked me continue to ring in my thoughts.
As I reflect on our time in Nairobi, Kenya, it became clearly revealed to me that it was more than a meeting; it was a time for prayers, holy conferencing, and receiving God's power for our immersive ministry in our local communities and for our connectional ministries around the world.
Sunday came with its blessings and goodness. We were categorised into groups of three to worship at different UMC churches; Kayole, Riruta and Huruma. However, my group who were initially slated to be at Riruta UMC somehow ended up at Kawangare; a Methodist Church in the area. The leaders of the church were surprised to see us as we were equally surprised how fate and the spirit led us to their church, through a ‘slip of the wheels’ by the driver. The preaching we received about 'Leaving a Legacy' was powerful. My heart melted when I read the inscription on the exit door of the church, 'Everybody is Somebody Here'. Despite the impromptu meeting, they welcomed us, prayed for us and wished we stayed longer to attend their second service which was officiated in Swahili. We, however, politely declined the gesture because we were heading to the Maasai Market and the Bomas of Kenya.
The BOMAS of Kenya displays traditional villages belonging to the several Kenyan tribes. My experience at the Bomas of Kenya imparted to me the importance of cultural preservation, heritage and cultural immersion. Just after our arrival, the tour guide took us through the depiction of the traditional homesteads of Kenya’s communities of about 23 tribes. I noticed easily how norms like religious beliefs, polygamy, initiation, circumcision and language can shape the trajectory of a particular society. I remember the tour guide jokingly saying as we all laughed, to thank the polygamous culture of the Luo tribe whose ripple effect later produced the 44th President of the US, Barrack Obama.
We headed back to the auditorium and watched amazing cultural dance performances. The troupe's repertoire consists of over 20 dances from different ethnic communities. With live percussion, string and wind instruments and diverse, authentic and energetic dancing we were taken on an enchanting journey through Kenya. Here I recognised that, as humans, we ought always to be open to the possibility that we could gain further insight into Christian truth of connecting together in a community through encounters with those who differ from us - and offer them insights as well.
Divine Gaga from Zimbabwe and I didn’t hesitate to join the group of dancers on stage after they invited us from the crowd to do so. The Bomas of Kenya is also a delicate place in Kenya because the auditorium building was used to count votes at the recently concluded Kenyan Presidential elections.
The following day, we had leadership development meetings which involved topic setting and proposal writing on social justice issues that we are motivated to address. Seeing many of us debate our standpoints and at the same time, amicably understand our viewpoints through consensus ignited hope in me for the future. In the afternoon, Dr. Babu Ayindo lectured us on Conflict Transformation and how to address the root causes of conflicts through dialogues and discernment. We were encouraged to embrace the full spectrum of the Christian community in fellowship and honest dialogue. Ideally, such a connection would always draw us all towards a more adequate understanding and greater consensus.
Later that evening, we organized a cultural Night. During this fun-filled session, we exchanged diverse snacks and presented songs and dances from each other’s POAs and home contexts. It was beautiful to absorb and sip in the cocktail of cultural representation under one roof. I was very glad to see many of us singing along to Nigerian songs or when James Kanu from Sierra Leone enjoyed the Chibwantu drink from Zambia or even the moment we learned the eight-steppers dance from the USA.
By Tuesday, November 8, the atmosphere began to morph into glum and somewhat sadness because the thoughts of parting had begun to creep in. We talked about integration and plans for the future. We had already become one family, set community norms, and had inside jokes and common parlance like ‘Are you a Gemini’, ‘Peru’, and Hakuna Matata. It got even more emotional that evening when we drove to ‘Mama Ashanti’ Restaurant for the closing dinner. We showed appreciation to each other, presented gifts, had chatty reflective conversations and personally, I got to taste ‘Jollof rice’ again, after quite a long time.
In our modern culture, I have observed, one of the temptations is to become isolated, selfish and localised in our concerns rather than responding faithfully to God who "so loved the world." But the midterm event paints a very different embracing picture of community, it reinvigorates us to support one another in pursuit of more vital Christian life - to watch over each other, so that if any fall into lukewarmness we have the support of each other to be lifted. This vital contribution of our connection will sustain our spiritual growth to social holiness.
Our closing worship was filled with emotions. The euphoria of finally meeting despite the blighting COVID restrictions met the painful feelings of saying goodbyes later. During our debriefing session, we wrote words of affirmation about each other; noting intricate details of our unique gifts and behaviours and confessions that we were going to take in our hearts the beautiful moments we had spent learning, interacting, and building relationship with one another during the course of our MidTerm Event in Nairobi, Kenya.
The midterm Event brought to the fore of my thoughts the awareness of the importance of love, hope and trust and the need to display these vital emotions with one another towards making a transformational impact in the world. To be able to see the world through different eyes and lenses equips me with the empathy to serve differently. As the Psalmist says ‘How blessed all those whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel; they wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks… God travelled these roads curve up the mountain and at the last turn - Zion! God in full view!’
Late that night, just like we came – team Zambia, we flew out of Kenya more transformed, pumped and confident that God’s grace is with us for the ‘pilgrimage’ ahead.
As I return to being in service as media and communications officer with my Place of Assignment, Pilgrim Wesleyan Church in Zambia, I invite you to journey with me in your support through prayers, donations and financial assistance via:
UMC Mission Advance Number: 3022623
https://umcmission.org/missionary-bio/3022623/
You can reach me through: awakili@umcmission.org; albarkawakili@gmail.com